Coach: I think GSP will fight again, vs. a colossal name
Firas Zahabi on the potential return of GSP: “When they put his name on a poster again there’s gonna have to be another colossal name, an historical name next to it.”
Former UFC welterweight champions Georges St-Pierre’s coach Firas Zahabi appeared recently on Inside MMA and discussed the fighter’s possible return to the Octagon.
The head of Montreal TriStar gym said GSP is “100% healthy,” training three times a week at an elite pace, and is in the best shape of his life.
“He doesn’t have to take any breaks to do a lot of sport-specific training,” said Zahabi, as transcribed by Adrian MacNair for MMAMania. “He does a lot of fitness. Every time we train with him he looks in better shape than he was at his peak.”
“He’s training like he used to train when he was preparing for a fight. I think he’ll come back and he’ll do it, but I think he’ll do it for the adventure. He’s not very much into a title. He’s not very much interested in being the most famous guy. That’s not his thing. He loves the thrill of competition. I just don’t think he will walk away.”
“Me and him both want the same thing. We both want this sport to be 100 percent clean. I think why originally he needed a break was because he had a very imbalanced life. It was just training all the time, sacrifice all the time. He needed to evolve and just have a personal life. But, the lack of drug testing is something that has always bothered him. He has always been suspicious of certain guys he’s fought. Let’s face it, how many guys have been caught in MMA on drugs? You know, there’s been a lot.”
“When they put his name on a poster again there’s gonna have to be another colossal name, an historical name next to it.”
The most obvious and fun superfight would be former middleweight champion Anderson Silva, but given the new regulatory environment around failed PED tests, that could take a remarkably long time. What is the next most colossal, historic name that could draw GSP out of semi-retirement?